HEADLINES & NEWS
Thousands of motorists trying to leave Auckland and Wellington for the Easter holidays are facing lengthy delays. Traffic is already extremely heavy on Auckland's Northern and Southern motorways, while just north of Wellington, cars are backed up for 30 kilometres between Porirua and Waikanae. Our reporter Kirsty Jones is beside Auckland's motorway - she joins me now. LIVE
The prime minister has ended the Washington leg of her United States visit, optimistic that a trade deal between America and New Zealand is possible. The United States trade representative Robert Zoellick, says he will talk with the trade negotiation minister, Jim Sutton, in May about how to put a trade agreement together. Our political editor Al Morrison is in Washington covering [illegible] Prime Minister's visit - I asked him what's likely to come out of these May trade discussions. PREREC WITH DROPINS
The government is banning the keeping of ferrets as pets, saying they are too great a threat to native wildlife. The ban will not apply to existing pets, but means that in future, no ferrets can be bought, sold, or bred. Existing ferret farms will still be able to breed the animals but can only sell them or their fur overseas. The ban will take effect once the Biosecurity Amendment Bill is passed later this year. The Conservation Minister Sandra Lee says the ban is important because ferrets are unwanted pests. PREREC
Bruce Holamby is the owner-operator of Mystic Ferrets in Hamilton, which is a ferret breeding and exporting business. Mr Holamby says he intends to challenge the ban which he believes will not be not as effective as the government expects. I asked him why he considers ferrets so special. PREREC
BUSINESS NEWS WITH JOHN DRAPER
[illegible] released today showing the economy grew less than expected at the end [illegible] last year may convince the Reserve Bank not to raise interest rates further. The economy grew by just zero point six percent in the last three months of 2001 when most economists were picking growth of at least one percent. Our economics correspondent Brent Edwards joins us now. LIVE WITH DROPINS
Overseas - and the United States President George Bush is condemning the latest suicide bombing in Israel as a callous, cold-blooded killing and again called on the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to stop the violence. The attack on a hotel packed with people celebrating the Jewish feast of Passover killed 20 and injured up to 140. Our Washington correspondent Simon Marks reports on the United States response to the killings. PKGE
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT with RICHARD CROWLEY
Labour Department inspectors will be out over Easter enforcing shopping hour laws after the failure of the latest move to lift restrictions on holiday shop trading. Parliament last night voted overwhelmingly to reject proposed amendments that would allow shopping every day except Anzac morning. Unions have welcomed the move as victory for comonsense - Patric Lane reports that while some retailers are crying foul, others are happy to stay closed. PKGE
Papua New Guinea's parliament has voted unanimously to give the war torn island of Bougainville autonomy. Bougainville will now be allowed to elect its own government and have its own police force, taxes and currency. It also gives Bougainville the right to hold an independence referendum in the next 10 to 15 years. Joining us now is foreign affairs minister Phil Goff. LIVE
A former prisoner of the Japanese armed forces in World War Two is claiming a moral victory from court proceedings in Japan - despite losing his appeal. Henk (pron hank) Zeeman has been fighting for decades to get an acknowledgment from the japanese that they mistreated prisoners of war, when many were forced to work on projects like the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai. Nathan Mills filed this report. PKGE
As East Timor readies itself for its first presidential elections and [illegible], the United Nations is asking New Zealand to continue providing [illegible] support. At the moment, its planned to drastically reduce New Zealand peacekeeper numbers those after independence. New Zealander Dennis McNamara is second in charge for the UN in East Timor - he is in Wellington meeting with the Defence Minister Mark Burton and Foreign Minister Phil Goff. I asked him what he wants to achieve. PREREC
The police have called in reinforcements, including Auckland's Eagle Hawk helicopter, to cope with a flood of tens of thousands of visitors into Wanaka this weekend.
The Central Otago town is hosting several major events over Easter, including the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow. Ian Brodie, the curator of Wanaka's New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum, says a hundred thousand visitors are expected at the airshow over three days. PREREC
CLOSE & THEME